30 IN BUS CRY WHIPLASH IN ‘CASH FOR CRASH SCAM’

DETECTIVES have questioned four men after 30 people on a coach trip claimed whiplash injuries in a suspected “crash for cash” scam.

They were arrested as part of a crackdown on gangs behind car insurance frauds that cost the industry £2billion a year and add £90 to the cost of every policy.

City of London Police’s insurance fraud unit is targeting the 1,500 fake whiplash claims made nationwide every day and has made 120 arrests this year.

Two men, aged 35 and 20, were arrested in Liverpool last week for conspiracy to defraud. Another two, aged 25 and 20, were detained last month. Another 28 men are being investigated.

Police said the men had booked a coach to take them from a pub in Bootle, Merseyside, to the Belle Vue dog track, near Manchester .

As they drove along the M57, a number of passengers told the driver a car had hit it in the back and asked him to pull over. The driver had felt no impact and found no damage to the coach. The car involved, which also stopped on the hard shoulder of the motorway, showed only superficial damage.

They were arrested as part of a crackdown on gangs behind car insurance frauds that cost the industry £2billion a year and add £90 to the cost of every policy

Insurers became suspicious when all 30 men on the coach went back to the pub and claimed whiplash compensation. Investigators said there was no booking at the dog track for a group of 30 men.